General dynamics awarded support contract for Moroccan Abrams tanks

General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a $16 million contract to provide technical support for Morocco’s Abrams main battle tanks.

The US Department of Defence announced the $16 269 197 contract on 11 June. It is “to provide systems technical support for the Abrams family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of 30 June 2020.”

Morocco has been acquiring Abrams tanks from the United States over a number of years. In June 2012 the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Morocco for enhancement and refurbishment of 200 M1A1 Abrams tanks and associated parts, equipment, logistical support and training for an estimated cost of $1.015 billion.

The first upgraded Abrams were seen in Casablanca in July 2016 and were accepted into the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces that same month. That followed contracts for the modernisation of some 200 Abrams tanks in a deal worth just over $1 billion.

According to the US Excess Defense Articles database, in 2017 Morocco had requested 222 Abrams tanks and 162 had been allocated. In November 2018 the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said it had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Morocco of “enhancements” to 162 Abrams tanks for an estimated cost of $1.259 billion.